Martavis Bryant signs futures contract with Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys signed receiver Martavis Bryant to a reserve futures contract on Wednesday, according to NFL insider Aaron Wilson. Bryant was a member of Dallas’ practice squad this past season.

The receiver was reinstated to the NFL in 2023 after serving an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy that lasted five years. He did not appear in any games for the Cowboys after signing to the practice squad on Nov. 7.

For his career, Bryant has 145 catches for 2,183 yards and 17 touchdowns in four seasons. He was known as one of the league’s better deep threats in three years with the Steelers before joining the Raiders in 2018.

Bryant was a fourth round pick out of Clemson in the 2014 NFL Draft. He immediately made an impact as a rookie to finished with 26 catches for 549 yards and eight touchdowns. He followed that up with his best NFL season in 2015 to record 50 catches for 765 yards and six scores in only 11 games.

Unfortunately, Bryant’s positive momentum came to a halt when he was suspended for the entire 2016 season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy a second time. He returned in 2017 to play one more season with the Steelers before being traded to the Raiders.

Bryant was again suspended, this time indefinitely, after appearing in eight games during the 2018 season. He would go on to play in the CFL, Indoor Football League over the next five years before his reinstatement to the NFL.

Now 32, Bryant has many people rooting for him to make a comeback who remember what an explosive player he was early in his career. That opportunity could come with the Cowboys if he can do enough to make the 53-man roster next season.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy: Martavis Bryant has ‘shown more and more with each opportunity

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gave an update on the status of receiver Martavis Bryant, a few weeks after he signed to their practice squad in November. McCarthy admitted that Bryant had a “conditioning hurdle to get over” upon signing with the team.

“I really like him,” McCarthy said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “He’s done a really, really good job coming in here, fitting in here. I think just like anybody that’s been away for the amount of time he has, there definitely was a conditioning hurdle to get over. He has lost a little weight. I think he has shown more and more with each opportunity. Excellent personality. He’s just trying to do everything right. I have a lot of respect for the way he has come in here.”